Bhubaneswar: Vigilance sleuths Thursday arrested Rabindra Kumar Jena, head of the Hematology department of SCB Medical College & Hospital, Cuttack on the charge of possessing assets disproportionate to his known source of income.
The doctor was later forwarded to the court of Special Vigilance judge Cuttack which remanded him to judicial custody for a period of 15 days.
The Vigilance Cell has moved the court to take Dr Jena on police remand for further interrogation and collection of further facts and evidence in connection with the ongoing investigation of two cases registered against him.
Vigilance sources here said Jena was apprehended near Laxmannath in Balasore district on Orissa-West Bengal border, while he was returning from Kolkata in a hired vehicle Wednesday.
The physician had gone to Kolkata December 4 last to avoid arrest and was concealing his presence at various places in Kolkata. He had shown himself to be admitted at Ruby General Hospital at Kasba in Kolkata December 17 last and was discharged December 20 last.
A vigilance inquiry was taken up against Jena on the allegations of abuse of official position and showing undue official favour to different pharmaceutical companies by prescribing their high cost drugs to poor patients who receive financial assistance for their treatment under Orissa State Treatment Fund (OSTF).
He was also accused of obtaining pecuniary advantages from pharmaceutical companies for foreign tours and accommodation in abroad.
Simultaneous searches were conducted at 12 places including the residential house of Jena November 22 last following the allegations.
During the search, huge assets disproportionate to his known sources of income and many other incriminating documents were unearthed and a case was registered against him U/s 13(2) r/w 13(1)(e) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for possession of disproportionate assets amounting to Rs 4.39 crore, which the vigilance sources said is in excess of 219 per cent of his known sources of income.
During the enquiry another case was registered against OSTF Nodal Officer and assistant professor of Clinical Hematology department of SCB Medical College and Hospital Sudha Sethy on the charges of cheating, misappropriation of funds, criminal conspiracy with Pharmaceutical Companies.
Cases were also registered against Pharmaceutical companies like , Pfizer, Emcure and other others by the Vigilance and Sudha Sethy, was arrested December 13 last and forwarded to the court of Special Judge.
UNI
